Back in the small fighter, Ithiell was becoming frustrated.
"Dammit!" He snapped, slamming his fist into the wall beside him, trying to resist the urge to smash the console apart. They had searched the entire area and had found nothing. No trace that anything out of the ordinary had been there.
(Do not give up so easily. We still have the others...)
"I know that, it's just... what if I'm wrong? I mean, my calculations may not have been as accurate as I thought they... oh god maybe I should check them again..." His clawed fingers started flying across the controls, bringing up his calculations on the screen.
(Please stop. Let us return and retrieve our friends) Ax suggested, his own fingers taking over for Ithiell for a moment, bringing back the outside picture once more. Ithiell sighed, finally nodding and Ax moved back to let him take over again.
"You're right. We'll just have to see if the others have found anything" He turned the fighter slowly in the air, ready to start moving back towards the area that Jake's team were in.
(-an hear me? ? A-?)
The two aliens looked at each other.
"Was that...?"
(No, but I do believe it was one of the others)
(J---? –arco? Any -e- he- m-?)
(It is Tobias!) Ax sounded alarmed, and Ithiell couldn't help but feel it too.
(Hey! Who's that?!) came a voice that Ithiell recognised as Amandas.
"Quick Axilmili! Ask her where she is!" Ax relayed the message, and seconds later they heard her reply.
(We're not far away. I can sort of see you from here. Who is that, and what's going on?)
"Tell her we don't know, and to just keep flying towards the fighter and I'll open the hatch when they're close enough" Ax relayed the message to her as Ithiell scanned the area around them, picking up two ospreys and one bald eagle.
He kept scanning, and further away, behind the three, was a red-tailed hawk. He brought up the picture of the hawk, and noticed it was looking absolutely exhausted.
"Ax!"
(I see him, but... where are your friends?)
"Well, Robert usually goes off on his own, but... I don't know where Jade is. I'm only picking up the four birds..." Ithiell's gut was telling him something was wrong.
"Talk to Tobias! See if you can hear him now" Ithiell was moving slowly in their direction now, and that gut feeling got worse each second he stood at the controls.
(Tobias, can you hear me? What is going on?)
(Can you- me now? We've got ------big problem)
"That doesn't sound good" Ithiell sped up, opening the hatch when he reached the other three.
(Can you hear me now?) Tobias called again as they swept into the fighter, all looking like they were about to fall over.
(Yes, we can hear you. What is it?) Ax replied.
(We found the Hork-Bajir, but we also found the Yeerks)
Amanda, Rachel and Marco were all becoming human again, and when they heard that Marco let out a curse.
"Where's Jake?" Rachel asked as soon as she had a mouth.
"They haven't come back yet" Ithiell told him.
(But... what happened to Jade? Where is she?) Amanda called out to him, stopping her own change to talk to him.
(She... I saw her get shot down)
(Oh my god! Jade!)Amanda cried.
(She was all right the last time I heard. She's gone into hiding, but I don't know how long it'll be before the find her)
(And how long ago was that?) Marco asked, and Ithiell noticed he was still half bird as well.
(An hour or so. We've got to hurry... I... they've almost got the voluntary Hork-Bajir!)
(It might be too late...) Amanda said to herself, finally becoming human again.
"No, we won't. I'm going to go as fast as I can, before..."
"But what about Jake? We need him with us to..."
"Look, you want to go get him, be my guest, but I'm not letting Jade or those Hork-Bajir get caught before then" He told Marco with anger in his voice.
"I'll go" It was Rachel.
"What?" Ithiell looked back at her like she was crazy.
"I'll go find him and tell him what's going on"
"But you won't know where we are!"
"I'll just follow the big bangs" She smiled, before becoming a bald eagle again, and Ithiell didn't have any choice but to open the hatch to let her out. He showed her which way to go, and she left. Seconds later, Tobias flew in, tumbling to the floor as soon as he was past the hatch.
Amanda went to him, picking his small form up.
"Are you ok?"
(I'm... fine... I just need to... take five...) He sounded exhausted, and Ithiell shut the hanger door, going as fast as he dared to go in the atmosphere.
"Take it easy bird boy, you got us the message just in time" Marco assured him, indicating for Amanda to let him go. She did, and he stood up, fluttering his wings a little.
"He got us the message, but was it too late..." Amanda asked, folding her arms and looking up at the screen, which showed a blur of treetops just beneath them.
"We'll just have to see..." Ithiell replied, knowing it was a race against time now, knowing they might already be too late.
Break
I stayed still, listening to the Hork-Bajir moving around and waiting for them to leave. But they didn't, and I guessed they'd set up some sort of base here. Either that or this Visser Three person was just too lazy to go after them himself. I heard him walking around, barking out orders loud enough to make my head spin. Apparently the Hork-Bajir had gotten away.
"They just... disappeared" Was the excuse I heard. Then another head went rolling.
(They cannot just disappear! You lost them! Now, find them again!) he roared, making my head spin. So I had been waiting, afraid to even breathe for a short time when they had come a little too close to my hiding place.
After a little while, I heard an entire troop of them move off, at least three dozen or so, and what was left didn't sound like very much.
"Sir, the Blade ship is on its way" came another Hork-Bajir voice.
(It's about time! Those Taxxons can't even fix my ship on my command!)
So, ship problems huh? Maybe I could use this...
I tuned my ears in to each footstep, using my Chanaiben senses to pinpoint how many and where each one of these guys were.
Four heavy sets of.... four Yeerk controlled Hork-Bajir, and... one much lighter set of hoof footfalls, meaning that could only be Visser Three.
I felt something crawling up my tail then. It was small, but I could sill tell it had eight hairy legs, and I bit back a gasp.
(Hey, you all right?) Came a voice, and I recognised it as Roberts.
(I'm fine. What are you doing here?)
(I saw you from the sky. Thought you might need some help)
(I don't need any help from you. I've got enough on my hands without having to deal with...)
(Look, what happened in the last battle... it wasn't your fault, ok? And I didn't mean to... I mean...)
(Just shut up. I'm trying to think of what to do)
(So what are you going to do? You're outnumbered five to one)
(That hasn't stopped me before)
(Jade... don't try anything. I'll go find the others, then maybe we could...)
(Look, there's no time for that. This guy's gonna have his little ship here anytime now, and when he does those Hork-Bajir won't have a chance)
(But just wait a second and let me...)
(No time Rob, I'm going) I flicked him off my tail, making the leaves shake.
"What?! Who's there?!" I heard one of them coming towards me.
(Whatever it is, kill it) boomed Visser Three. I could tell he wasn't a very patient guy.
I got up on my hands and feet, waiting until one of his henchmen parted the shrubs before leaping up at him, digging my claws into his neck. I dug them in further, before he choked and finally fell, and I took his weapon.
In an instant, all other eyes were on me, and I finally saw what was going on. I saw what looked like a crashed fighter, and a lot of electrical equipment had been pulled out of it. Visser Three himself was standing only a few metres away, and the other three Hork-Bajir looked just as surprised as he was. Then, three weapons were on me.
(And who might you be?) There was amusement in Visser Three's eyes, all four of them, and he raised a hand to stop the other three from firing at me.
"I... I am a Chanaiben" I lied, knowing if I was human I'd be dead right now. Lying isn't really my strong point.
(Chanaiben? Ah yes, I remember hearing about you. Fascinating creatures, but not as deadly as an Andalite)
"And you would know?" My heart was thudding in my ears, and I was terrified. But somehow, I managed to look and sound calm.
(Well, look at this tail) he brought his tail forward proudly (This tail could slice you in two before you could even open your mouth)
"Don't you know looks can be deceiving?"
(That sounds almost... human)
"Well, what they say is true. This tail isn't for show you know" I twitched my own tail, just giving him an example of my speed.
(Jade, are you nuts?! You should have waited for me...)
(Not now Robert. I know what I'm doing now) I smiled a little, finally realising what drove this Visser Three. He had a big ego, which just needed...
"And what's more, I can become whatever I want to be" I focused on the Andalite body in front of me, turning into Visser Three's twin. When my two extra eyes popped up from the top of my head, I swivelled them around to see a tarantula half hidden in the underbrush.
(Jade... I'm warning you, run while you can) I saw him growing a little, and he slipped out of sight.
(Not a chance. If I can distract him, and maybe his Yeerk friends, it could by us some more time to find the Hork-Bajir)
(But it's suicide!)
(This is nothing compared to the last fight we had. Or don't you remember?)
(Jade, I...I'm sorry, but please...)
(Robert, you can be my backup)
(Oh god, you idiot!) he cried out as I finally finished my transformation, still holding my gun.
Visser Three still looked amused.
(So, you can morph)
(It's not a morph. I just shape shifted)
(Yes, indeed. But you still seem to be forgetting something my little changeling)
(And what's that?)
(That you're still outnumbered)
(Hasn't stopped me before)
He laughed in my head, an awful laugh that almost made me want to cover my ears.
(So, not afraid of that? Well, let's see if you're afraid of this) In an instant he was changing, growing larger.
(I see) Robert muttered as he finally understood what I was going to do.
I mimicked the shape Visser Three was doing. It had eight arms, each ending in a three fingered claw a little like Ithiells. Eight thick legs, and eight big ugly heads. Lots of eights. I was surprised when I found I had finished my own change, and I saw from eight sets of eyes, and one of my hands still held the gun I had.
Visser Three, well... he sounded pretty surprised himself.
(No! How could you... it's not possible!) He said, shifting the weight on his legs. I could tell he wasn't happy.
(Shape shifting means I don't need DNA to imitate a form. I just need to see it in front of me, and you really did a wonderful job of doing that)
(You... you'll die for this!) from one of the heads, a round spinning ball of flame was aimed right at me. I gave him a taste of his own medicine, cancelling him out.
(That's it!) He roared in my head (Guards! Kill it!) And at that second, I knew what I had done wrong.
TSSSSEEEEEWWWW!!!
TSSSSEEEEEWWWW!!!
The first shot missed, but the second hit one of my heads, cutting it off.
(Ahhh!!)
(Hit them back!)
I tried to take aim, focusing on the first one...
TSSSSEEEEWWW!!! Another head cut off, and another leg!
(Ha ha ha ha!! Are you afraid now little changeling?) he mocked, and through blurry eyes and the pain I noticed he'd gone back to his own Andalite form.
Before I knew it, I was starting to become myself again, shrinking as the Dracon beams were fired at me.
(No Jade! Not human!) Robert reminded me, and I remembered to focus as I changed, seeing Robert had taken action, taking one of them down before darting off again.
I became Rtaia again, and Visser Three held up his hands to the guards.
(No, wait. We might be able to use this creature) He was smiling with his eyes, and I knew what he had planned for me.
"I don't think so" I said, knowing Robert wouldn't be able to help me again without being caught himself.
FFWWAAPP!
In seconds, he'd cut the gun I had in two.
"No" I gasped, letting the pieces of the gun fall to the ground.
(But then again, I might be able to use you for practice) he was smiling with his eyes again. Almost gleeful.
"So, this is it..." I whispered, dropping my hands. I knew then, I knew. I'd die here and now.
I'd never see any one that I loved ever again. My mum, my brother... oh god Phoebe...
I'd never see my little sister again. I'd never be able to hold her again and soothe her after she had a nightmare. I'd never be able to sit with her and read stories to her, with her laughing at the pictures.
And Amanda... Ithiell... Robert... everyone...
Before I knew it I had tears streaking down my cheeks. And I didn't even know Chanaibens could cry. But they could, and I cried, feeling like an idiot as well as being absolutely terrified of the thing in front of me. This wasn't like the other battles... I couldn't just attack and hope to win... they were everywhere...
Now I lay me down to sleep... I recited in my head the verse my grandmother had taught me before she passed away. It was stupid, because I wasn't even religious, but I guess it helped soothe the aching in my heart, even just a little.
(Jade! Move it!) I heard Robert yelling.
I pray the lord, my soul to keep...
(Now stay still, this won't take long) Visser Three said, readying his tail.
And if I die, before I wake...
(Don't give up yet!) Came the shout, as Vissers blade arched down at me.
I pray the lord, my soul to take.
And then, it all stopped.